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FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) The man who dodged a murder charge last year when a witness was killed was sentenced Friday for firing at a Fort Wayne police officer.

Charles Benson is escorted to court for day one of his trial for attempted murder of an FWPD officer June 1, 2016.

In Allen Superior Court on Friday, Charles A. Benson, 26, was sentenced to 62 ½ years. A jury convicted Benson of attempted murder, resisting law enforcement and criminal recklessness for shooting at Fort Wayne Police Officer Robert Geiger on Jan. 30.

It was late January, midday, when Geiger made a traffic stop of a vehicle along Lewis Street. During the stop, the passenger of the vehicle – later identified as Benson – reportedly jumped out and ran off.

As Geiger gave chase, Benson turned and fired shots toward him. Geiger then returned fire.

Neither men were struck, but Benson was eventually taken into custody in an alley near Francis Street.

Benson received 40 years for the attempted murder, another year for resisting law enforcement and 2 ½ years for criminal recklessness. The court ruled Benson was a habitual offender and another 20 years was added to his sentence.

Benson’s record with the Fort Wayne Police Department includes felony convictions for battery, and possessing cocaine and marijuana.

Most notably, Benson beat a murder charge from a shooting that was caught on surveillance video. He was accused of killing John D. Holman in the middle of Eby Avenue in 2014. However, a key witness in the case, Dreyden Edward Troyer, was killed by a train and the prosecutor’s office dropped the charges due to a lack of evidence. Troyer’s death was ruled an accident by the Allen County Coroner’s Office.